Photoshop comes with predefined sets of built-in shapes that can be used as vector masks or for artistic decoration of images. This allows you to significantly reduce the time spent on the image. You can add new ones to the already installed shapes, created by yourself or downloaded from the Internet.
Installing a predefined set of shapes
Open Photoshop and in the main menu click on the "Edit" button. Select "Manage Sets" from the drop-down list. A dialog box will open in front of you, at its top you will see a scrolling list "Type of set", designed to select the add-on you want to install. These can be brushes, textures, styles, and other elements.
Select the type of add-on "Custom Shapes" and click on the "Download" button located on the right side of the window. Use Explorer to point the program to the file you want. It must have a csh extension. Click on the Download button again. The new set will be added to the existing ones, and you can use it at any time.
If, while working with the Custom Shapes tool, you need to quickly load a new set, then in the Shapes palette, click on the small gear icon and select Load Shapes from the drop-down list. An explorer window will appear on the screen. Find the required file in it and click on the "Download" button. The set will automatically be added to the very end of the existing list.
You can install a new set of shapes without opening Photoshop. To do this, copy the file with the csh extension to the Custom Shapes folder. It is located at C: / Program Files / Adobe / Adobe Photoshop CC 2014 / Presets / Custom Shapes. The advantage of this method is that the added set will be available for selection through the shape palette menu.
How to save a vector drawing as a shape
If you have a vector image that you plan to use frequently, you can save it as a custom shape in Photoshop. To do this, select the "Place" command from the "File" menu. In the latest version of the program - Photoshop CC, you should select the "Place Built-in" command.
Hold down the Ctrl key and click on the layer thumbnail to load the picture as a selection. Now you need to save the created selection as a path. To do this, open the "Paths" palette and click on the "Create Work Path" icon located below.
In the main Photoshop menu, click the Edit button and select the Define Freehand Shape command. A small window will open on the screen, enter the name of the created shape in it and click OK. From now on, your drawing is available for selection in the shapes palette.
